Profile

The black-faced lion tamarin has a golden body and a black face. Its head and body length is approximately 30 cm (12"),
and it weighs approximately 600 g (21
oz). This lion tamarin
prefers primary lowland coastal forest (restinga), where it eats fruit, insects, nectar and plant
exudates. It is arboreal and diurnal.
Black-faced lion tamarins occur in groups of 2 - 11, with an average of 5 members per group.

The black-faced lion tamarin was first documented by Western science in 1990 on the island
of Superagui, Brazil. By 1995, surveys revealed
that it occurred on Superagui and adjacent parts of the mainland in the states of Parana
and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its available habitat totals
approximately 17,300 hectares (68 sq mi). The black-faced lion tamarin is threatened by the development of tourism, the
harvesting of palm hearts, and further deforestation to provide more land for
cattle ranching.

Population Estimates:

History of Distribution:

The black-faced lion tamarin was first documented by Western science in 1990 on the
island of Superagui, Brazil. By 1995, surveys
revealed that it occurred on Superagui and adjacent parts of the mainland in the states of
Parana and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its available habitat
totals approximately 17,300 hectares (68 sq mi) (Rylands et al. 1997).

Data on Biology and Ecology

The black-faced lion tamarin's head and body length is approximately 30 cm (12"), and its tail is
about the same length. It weighs approximately 0.60 kg (1.3 lb). (IPE 2004).

Habitat:

Lion tamarins have always been restricted to low-altitude forests, usually
below 300 m (1000').
Although lion tamarins do utilize forest in early stages of succession, they
depend on tall, mature forest for their sleeping holes, which are dug out by
woodpeckers, and for sufficient animal prey foraging sites, especially bromeliadepiphytes and leaf litter piles in
vines and palm-tree crowns. (Macdonald 2001)